FAIRMONT — Three first period goals set the tone for the Tigers.

The Marshall Tigers grounded the Fairmont Area Cardinals 8-1 in a Big South Conference girls hockey matchup Thursday night in Fairmont.

The Tigers scored a goal in the first two minutes of action to take the lead they would not give up.

With 15:27 showing on the clock in the first period, Marshall’s Logan Sherman opened the scoring.

A group of Cardinals and Tigers were clustered in front of the net fighting for the puck when it slipped out of the group and into the net. Sherman was awarded the goal off an assist from Leah Schaefer.

Olivia Peterson scored the second Tiger goal on a power play off a double assist from Emelia Barker and Kaitlyn Timm.

Timm sent a hard pass from the right side of the red line and Peterson needed only one touch to hit the back of the net.

With only 43 seconds remaining in the opening period, Tessa Gannott scored off Barker’s second assist after Barker sent a deflected shot off the crossbar and Gannott coralled the rebound and sent the puck into the webbing.

Marshall scored three more goals in the second period, including another in the first two minutes of the segment.

Timm scored at the 15:49 mark off an assist from Jadyn Briffett.

Sherman scored her second goal with 14:47 remaining with a double helper from Gannott and Shelby Ormberg.

The final goal of the segment came unassisted from Izabella Hunsley with 4:31 left on the clock.

Fairmont Area head coach Ashley Olson said her team played better in the second and third periods, but needs to work on playing hard all 51 minutes.

“We got kind of a slow start,” Olson said. “Marshall took advantage of that and was able to move the puck around us. I think we came on a little stronger in the second period, but we need to play three solid periods against good teams like this.”

Gannott opened the scoring in the final segment when she sent an unassisted shot into the net with 6:42 remaining.

Sydney Mauch scored the Tigers final goal with 4:20 left off an assist from Regan Loft.

Loft controlled the attack most of the way down the ice, but passed directly backward to Mauch five feet from the right post of the goal for the finish.

The Cardinals got on the scoreboard at the 1:02 mark of the final segment when Mackenzie Householder charged through multiple defenders for a one-on-one opportunity with the Marshall goalie.

Householder faked left to right in front of the goal and wristed the puck into the right side of the webbing to keep Fairmont Area from being shut out.

Marshall outshot Fairmont Area 36-9 in the matchup, including 18-1 in the first period.

Hadley Artz made 30 saves between the pipes for the Cardinals.

Fairmont Area (3-8, 3-4 Big South) plays Luverne at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the National Division of the Schwan’s Cup in Blaine.

Marshall (8-3-1, 5-1 Big South) plays Saturday at Mankato East.

Marshall 3-3-2–8

Fairmont Area 0-0-1–1

Scoring Plays

1st Period

MAR–Logan Sherman (Leah Schaefer), 15:27.

MAR–Olivia Peterson (Emelia Barker, Kaitlyn Timm), 7:58.

MAR–Tessa Gannott (Emelia Barker), 0:43.

2nd Period

MAR–Kaitlyn Timm (Jadyn Briffett), 15:49.

MAR–Logan Sherman (Shelby Ormberg, Tessa Gannott), 14:47.

MAR–Izabella Hunsley (unassisted), 4:31.

3rd Period

MAR–Tessa Gannott (unassisted), 6:42.

MAR–Sydney Mauch (Regan Loft), 4:20.

FMT–Mackenzie Householder (unassisted), 1:02.

Shots on goal: Marshall 36; Fairmont Area 9.

Saves: Alexis Moat (MAR) 8; Hadley Artz (FMT) 17, Rachel O’Connor (FMT) 11.

Penalties: Marshall 1 for 2 minutes; Fairmont Area 3 for 6 minutes.

Power-play chances: Marshall 1 for 3; Fairmont Area 0 for 1.